Officers in schools would be wise

As a trained school resource officer in Ottawa County, I wonder why people would want to bring more guns into schools by arming teachers (“Arming schools,” editorial, Dec. 27).

Training teachers to handle and fire a weapon properly does not make them mentally prepared to use that weapon, especially on one of their own students or a parent. There also is the question of school districts’ insurance and the cost of a lawsuit should anything happen with that teacher or weapon.

A firearm is part of my daily routine as a police officer. Not so for school officials or teachers.

State and school officials should think twice before arming teachers. They instead should put a school resource officer or police officer in the school. The benefits would outweigh the cost.

Why not install an egress window in each classroom, with a fire escape-type stair system, and have regular evacuation drills?

This would make sense for responding to perpetrators, bomb threats, and fires.

KATHLEEN JENSEN

Rose Tree Court

State Rt. 2 needs turning lanes

I would love to speak with the engineer who designed the turn lanes at the intersection of Airport Highway (State Rt. 2) and State Rt. 295 near Swanton. This intersection has needed turn lanes for years because of accidents, some fatal.

My husband and I have written to the Ohio Department of Transportation about this. We were told that this intersection was not classified as dangerous. Tell that to the families who have lost loved ones in accidents at that intersection.

When road work began in the area of the intersection last year, I hoped turn lanes would be added. Rather, the two inside lanes, going east and west on Airport Highway, were removed. The turn lanes are now what had been the inside lanes of a once four-lane highway.

I have the common sense to know that you don’t turn a major four-lane highway into a two-lane highway to create turn lanes.

KIMBERLY ZUVER

Swanton

Editor’s note: An ODOT spokesman said: “ODOT chose a road safety improvement that uses existing pavement to install turn lanes and reduce through traffic to one lane, following a study using State Rt. 2’s current and projected traffic counts. Adding turn lanes and maintaining two through lanes on existing pavement was not an option with current standards derived from safety and capacity experience.”

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